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Prospects for new a new barrister

  • 11-09-2013 6:10pm
    #1
    neon123
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 191 ✭✭


    Hi everybody,

    I'm soon about to begin my third and final year in Economics ,politics and Law in DCU. I have been eagerly contemplating the idea of becoming the barrister over the last two years, but I'm starting to have my doubts, fueled by reading numerous threads on this site.

    From reading past threads on Boards, the general consensus among people familiar with the profession is it seems very difficult if not impossible to make any sort of living in the first few years. Im not going in this field based solely on financial gain, but the job doesn't even seem to allow for basic subsistence living . If anything it seems I would be losing money when one considers the law library fees and other various mandatory expenses .

    Since im in a non approved law degree and will subsequently will have to do the diploma course first, am I just throwing thousands down the drain to enter a career of no apparent gain?. Should I consider this career path a long term investment?, or will it end up leaving me in regret for many years.

    The other option is to use the money I have to do a masters and hopefully get an alternative job that is not as financially precarious .It seems to me that the barrister profession is more suited to people who want an interesting hobby and are not dependent on its financial reward.

    I have no first hand experience in the profession, nor do I know any barristers, so all my views are based on what I have read . I hope I'm wrong in my pessimism ,but I just need some confirmation on the reality of the profession.

    Thanks for the help,
    Robin


Comments

  • #2
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    You're right to be pessimistic (realistic) about the financial opportunities at the Bar. They are bleak fr at least the first 3-4 years and yes, you more than likely will be paying more than you earn in those years, especially the first two.

    Now with that said, its a great job and very interesting but it could be described as a hobby for the first few years. A hobby that can occasionally make you a hundred quid here or there.

    If you were set on giving it a go, you have a good few years without prospects of earning, at least 6 from where you are now including the diploma. BUT, I would rather the BL over a masters anyday, its a professional qualification, you are a qualified lawyer as soon as you get it so it brings with it great prospects to work as a lawyer elsewhere.

    Your other option is to do the fe1s but even that route would take you at least 4 years from where you are now.

    Are you sure you dont have all the law subjects you need to do the KI exams? If you were only missing a handful it could make more sense to see if you can just do what you're missing.


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